What does it mean that God remembers our sins no more?
When God says He will remember our sins no more, He is not forgetting the way we forget: He is promising never to call them to mind again, never to treat us according to them, and never to bring them up in judgment. The new covenant rests on that promise, and the cross is its price.
This question arose from studying What happens when I sin after I've come to Christ? and Why did Jesus have to die?.
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What the Scripture says
'Not remember' is covenant language, not amnesia
The all-knowing God cannot forget facts. When He says 'their sin will I remember no more,' He means He will never again hold our sins against us or let them stand between us. To 'remember' sin in Scripture is to act on it in judgment; to not remember is to covenant never to act on it again.
and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
It is God's own oath about His own memory
Notice who makes this pledge: 'I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake.' The promise does not depend on how well we have repented or how clean our record has run since. It depends on God's character, which is why Micah can picture Him treading our iniquities underfoot and casting them into the depths of the sea.
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Hebrews reads it as final settlement
Hebrews quotes Jeremiah's promise twice and draws the conclusion: 'where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.' If God remembers sins no more, the ledger is closed; by one offering 'he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.' Forgiveness without recall is what the cross purchased.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
“I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.” Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Removed as far as east from west
The psalmists reach for images of distance that cannot be crossed back: transgressions removed 'as far as the east is from the west,' sins cast behind God's back. East and west never meet on a traveler's map; that is the point. The debt is not filed away where we might dig it up again; it is gone from the account entirely, so that God charges with sin no more.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Reconciliation changes the conversation, not just the record
'God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses.' Because God does not reckon our trespasses, He deals with us as children rather than defendants: 'Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.' Discipline may still come, but prosecution never will.
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
As you read, you may wonder…
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Can I lose my salvation?→Our Walk with Him trail“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”How do I experience the love of God day to day?→God the Father trail“and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”What is the new heart that God promised?→Our Walk with Him trail“I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
“I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.” Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
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